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Latin America & Caribbean - Peoples & Places, Regional Biography, Hispanics/Latinos - Biography, Music - General & Miscellaneous
Celia Cruz, Queen of Salsa by Veronica Chambers — book cover

Celia Cruz, Queen of Salsa

by Veronica Chambers, Julie Maren
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Overview

Everyone knows the flamboyant, larger-than-life Celia Cruz, the extraordinary salsa singer who passed away in 2003, leaving millions of fans brokenhearted. indeed, there was a magical vibrancy to the Cuban salsa singer. to hear her voice or to see her perform was to feel her life-affirming energy deep within you. relish the sizzling sights and sounds of her legacy in this glimpse into Celia’s childhood and her inspiring rise to worldwide fame and recognition as the Queen of salsa. Her inspirational life story is sure to sweeten your soul.

Synopsis

Everyone knows the flamboyant, larger-than-life Celia Cruz, the extraordinary salsa singer who passed away in 2003, leaving millions of fans brokenhearted. indeed, there was a magical vibrancy to the Cuban salsa singer. to hear her voice or to see her perform was to feel her life-affirming energy deep within you. relish the sizzling sights and sounds of her legacy in this glimpse into Celia's childhood and her inspiring rise to worldwide fame and recognition as the Queen of salsa. Her inspirational life story is sure to sweeten your soul.

Carolyn Mott Ford - Children's Literature

This picture book biography focuses almost exclusively on the vocal talents of the famous Salsa singer. As a young girl growing up in Havana, Cuba, Celia's job was to sing lullabies to soothe the small children in the family to sleep. Her voice was praised by relatives and neighbors, and in her school years she sang in shows and clubs, flavoring Afro-Cuban rhythms with the zest of the tropics. Although her father loved his "little songbird," he urged her to concentrate on her studies so she could become a respected school teacher. However, one of her teachers encouraged her to try to succeed as a singer and Celia decided to take that chance. When faced with criticism, she determined that she sang, not for fame and fortune but for her parents, her little brothers and sisters, the ancestors, and the saints. By 1960, Celia was famous throughout Cuba. She moved to Hollywood, knowing that the political situation would no doubt make it impossible to return to her beloved homeland. Celia continued to sing like a bird, bringing salsa music to the rest of the world. A glossary and a selected discography are included. 2005, Dial/Penguin, Ages 6 to 10.

About the Author, Veronica Chambers

Veronica Chambers lives in Los Angeles, California. Julie Maren lives in Boulder, Colorado.

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Editorials

Children's Literature

This picture book biography focuses almost exclusively on the vocal talents of the famous Salsa singer. As a young girl growing up in Havana, Cuba, Celia's job was to sing lullabies to soothe the small children in the family to sleep. Her voice was praised by relatives and neighbors, and in her school years she sang in shows and clubs, flavoring Afro-Cuban rhythms with the zest of the tropics. Although her father loved his "little songbird," he urged her to concentrate on her studies so she could become a respected school teacher. However, one of her teachers encouraged her to try to succeed as a singer and Celia decided to take that chance. When faced with criticism, she determined that she sang, not for fame and fortune but for her parents, her little brothers and sisters, the ancestors, and the saints. By 1960, Celia was famous throughout Cuba. She moved to Hollywood, knowing that the political situation would no doubt make it impossible to return to her beloved homeland. Celia continued to sing like a bird, bringing salsa music to the rest of the world. A glossary and a selected discography are included. 2005, Dial/Penguin, Ages 6 to 10.
—Carolyn Mott Ford

School Library Journal

Gr 2-4-This biographical tribute to an icon of Latina music evokes the talent, independence, and inner drive of a woman who helped develop a music style present in today's popular culture. A songbird of the Havana streets, the young Cruz charmed her neighbors with the passion and uniqueness of her voice, which incorporated the sounds of street vendors. "Her father heard thunder. Her cousins heard the call of the sea. Her neighbors heard a hummingbird." The text records her early life in an overcrowded household but also emphasizes her love for learning and her classical training, her devotion to her birth country, and her international fame. Full-page illustrations in bold jewel tones evoke the warmth and swirl of the salsa sound she created. An author's note summarizes Cruz's personal and professional life. Like the sweetness of her voice, this tribute is pure az car. It fills a gap in materials for music teachers and is a solid addition for all libraries.-Mary Elam, Forman Elementary School, Plano, TX Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews

This heartfelt biography celebrates the life of Cuban singer Celia Cruz from her childhood in Havana to her international fame as the Queen of Salsa. As a girl, Celia's voice enchanted neighbors when she sang lullabies to her younger siblings. In high school, she sang Afro-Cuban rhythms in local clubs. Her big break came in 1950 when she was hired as lead singer for Cuba's most popular band, La Sonora Matancera, and together they created a new style of Latin dance music. In 1960, Celia left Cuba forever for a singing career in Hollywood. Over the next 40 years she spread salsa music worldwide singing "sweet sugar" wherever she went. Text and illustrations highlight major events in Celia's life and effectively convey the theme of the little "songbird" who became the Salsa Queen. The vibrant acrylic and collage illustrations, with their sizzling colors, bold patterns and images of birds, music, flowers and sugar, work harmoniously with the text to create an inspired and inspiring introduction to a Latina idol. (author's note, glossary, selected discography) (Picture book. 7+)

Book Details

Published
July 1, 2007
Publisher
Penguin Group (USA)
Pages
40
Format
Paperback
ISBN
9780142407790

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